TUFTED PUFFIN 85 



Mr. Dawson (1909) says: 



A 45-degree slope of soil is the characteristic nesting site of the puffin. Here 

 tunnels are driven at random to a depth of 3 or 4 feet, and so close together 

 that once, on Erin, by placing a foot in the entrance of a burrow and fetching 

 a compass, I was able to touch with the hands the entrance of 25 others, ap- 

 parently occupied. This may have been an unusually populous section, but 

 reckoning at half that rate, an acre of ground would carry 2,700 burrows. 

 Hard or rocky soil is not shunned in prosperous colonies, but many efforts here 

 are baffled outright and "prospects" are at least as numerous as occupied bur- 

 rows. Elsewhere the top soil on precipitous, clinging ledges may be utilized, 

 or else crannies, crevices, and rock-hewn chambers. 



The tufted puffins have always been one of the interesting features 

 of the famous Farallone Islands and their nesting habits there have 

 been described by various writers. Here they seem to prefer to nest 

 in the crevices in the cliffs and in cavities under the bowlders which 

 form natural burrows from 2 to 5 feet in depth. Sometimes crude 

 nests are made of coarse, dry weeds, but more often there is no at- 

 tempt at nest building. 



Eggs. This puffin lays but one egg, which is usually "ovate" in 

 shape; some specimens are more pointed, with a tendency toward 

 "ovate pyriform." The shell is thick and lusterless. The color is 

 very pale bluish white, or dull, dirty white. Many eggs show a few, 

 and some numerous, spots or scrawls of various shades of gray or 

 pale brown, which sometimes form a ring around the larger end. 

 The measurements of 43 eggs in the United States National Museum 

 and the writer's collections average 72 by 49.2 millimeters; the eggs 

 showing the four extremes measure 78 by 50, 73.5 by 51.5, 65.5 by 

 49.5, and 68.5 by 45 millimeters. 



Young. Apparently two broods are raised in a season, at least in 

 the southern portion of its breeding range, for eggs are found in the 

 Farallone Islands early in May and fresh eggs are found again early 

 in July. Mr. W. Otto Emerson states positively that two broods are 

 raised and gives the period of incubation as 21 days. Both sexes in- 

 cubate. Mr. Emerson says that they take turns at the duties of in- 

 cubation every 12 hours, relieving each other at night and morning. 

 Each bird spends a part of the day or night at sea in search of food, 

 but, when not so occupied, it may be seen standing like a sentinel 

 at the entrance of the burrow, waiting to relieve its incubating mate. 



Mr. Emerson says: 



The young are fed in the burrow until fully feathered and large enough to 

 take care of themselves in the sea water. The food of the young consists of 

 shellfish, mussels, sea urchins, small smelt, sardines, herring, and perch. 



The young puffins are gluttonous feeders and will gorge them- 

 selves with food until they can hardly move. They are also very 

 pugnacious, fighting among themselves and biting at anything that 

 comes within reach. 



